Credit Suisse to Limit Weekend Work for Junior Bankers

Credit Suisse Group AG is the latest bank to ease weekend working conditions for junior bankers, according to a memo reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

Jim Amine, global head of Credit Suisse’s investment banking department, said in a memo to staff that the Swiss bank was instituting new rules around work hours for junior bankers in its Americas regions only.

Analysts and associates, the most junior bankers, are no longer allowed in the office from 6 p.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Sunday unless they are working on a live deal, according to the Credit Suisse memo. If working on a live deal, all junior bankers must be in the office together, Mr. Amine said in the memo.

Exceptions to the rule need to be approved from group heads, he added in the memo. And junior bankers who need to stay in the office past midnight on Sunday must alert their group head and chief operating officer.

The memo also urged bankers to avoid setting up conference calls for “non-live” projects for Saturdays. Conference calls on Sundays are encouraged if it means bankers can avoid having to go into the office, Mr. Amine said.

The announcement Monday is part of a larger project the bank has been working on since August to improve the quality of life for junior bankers, said a spokesman. The memo sent by Mr. Amine formalizes the policy, he explained.

Update:Analysts and associates at Credit Suisse are no longer allowed in the office from 6 p.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Sunday. An earlier version of this post incorrectly said 10 p.m. Sunday.